FromOld Englishhū maniġ.

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howmany

1. (This entry is atranslation hub.)

   How many times have I told you not to slam the door?

   How many keys we have lost!

   I told himhow many days the principal said he skipped school.

• Used withcountable nouns only. The form used withuncountable nouns ishow much.

howmany

1. unspecifiednumber

   We've lost quite a few; I don't know exactlyhow many.

   • 1800, George Fox,A Journal Or Historical Account of the Life, Travels, Sufferings, Christian Exsperiences, and Labour of Love, in the work of the Ministry:

     And I sawhow many were destroying the simplicity, and betraying the truth.

   • 2004, John P. Sutton,Thin White Lines, page233:

     Biff then stated, “Takehow many you want, they're $700 a piece."

   • 2012, Charlie Gardner,Rotten Timbers,→ISBN, page143:

     I'll phone later and confirmhow many I want.

   • 2016, L. James Dempsey,Blackfoot War Art: Pictographs of the Reservation Period, 1880–2000:

     The sticks are now going around, and takehow many you want.

2. whatnumber

   How many of you have full-time jobs?

   I've invited three hundred people to my wedding. — You've invitedhow many?

   • 2000, Glen C. Cutlip,How to Overcome Death: The Final Victory,→ISBN, page61:

     The message itself is neither difficult nor simple, buthow many will realize this?

   • 2005, David B. Spangler,Math for Real Kids,→ISBN:

     You knowhow many are in one group andhow many are in another group.

   • 2010, Michael A. Curtis,Notes from My Journey,→ISBN, page39:

     How many will say I want to be a good example for my children?

   • 2011, Ian Angus, Simon Butler,Too Many People?,→ISBN:

     How many people Earth can support depends in part onhow many will wear cotton andhow many polyester; onhow many will eat meat andhow many bean sprouts; onhow many will want parks andhow many will want parking lots.

• “how many”, inOneLook Dictionary Search.